Supporting academics and policymakers in sharing evidence-based research and ideas on the major social, cultural and economic challenges facing society regionally, nationally and beyond. Our over-arching vision is to share the University’s independent expertise with policymakers so they can make informed decisions about the most effective and sustainable ways to tackle these challenges, now and in the future.


The Centre for Children’s Rights (CCR) at Queen’s University Belfast are delighted to host this blog series in partnership with the Children’s Law Centre, Include Youth, NIACRO and VOYPIC. Academics within the CCR, in partnership with some of these organisations, co-hosted a seminar at Queen’s in 2015 attended by the then Minister for Justice, David…

Professor Alister Miskimmon, Head of the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s reflects on the current conflict in Ukraine.

Advances in technology, although often very beneficial, can also have the potential to be used in such a way as to increase risk levels for victims of domestic abuse says Dr Ronagh McGuigg.

Dr Connor Bamford looks at the recent cases of Lassa fever detected in the UK.

Episode 7 is now available to listen to or download from Apple or Spotify.

In a new report launched last week, Professors Katy Hayward and Nicola McEwen consider the prospect of an independent Scotland within the EU and what that might mean for Scotland’s borders. in this blog, Katy gives an insight into the report, examining what border management might look like for Scotland in that scenario.

Not for the first time in recent memory, Northern Irish politics is in flux, the UK government’s Brexit deal is causing ructions and the power-sharing institutions are on the brink of collapse. Guest contributor Alan Whysall assesses the current crisis and argues that the foundations of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement are at serious risk of…

Dr Gordon Gillespie offers some critical reflections on Kenneth Branagh’s much talked about new film ‘Belfast’.

Professor Marie Coleman looks at some of the challenges in compiling a government-sponsored official history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Episode 5 is now available to listen to or download from Apple or Spotify.